What Kind of Bike

[Pedal Wench]

MMMI would stay away from triple chainrings (on cranks) since most road bikes are not design to have triples on them (shifting is not as crisp). If you plan on climbing a lot, then look at compact cranks. Don't fall for the "women specific" marketing hype....Women and men are not that different as far as bike fitting goes. Women tend to be shorter in height (in general) therefore women specific bikes tend to have more smaller frame sizes. A women who is 5'4" tall will fit the same size bike as a man who is the same height (all things being equal). >>>

Wow. Lots of generalizations there. If the OP has weak knees, lives (or plans to ride) in a hilly area, or is just beginning, a triple might be necessary to save her knees. I know on hilly 400k's, I like having the option of a wide range of gearing.
Also, many women need "women specific" hype. a 5'4" tall woman will most likely have significantly longer legs than a man that same height. Therefore, she'll need a bike with a shorter toptube. Women tend to have narrower shoulders, so need narrower handlebars, and sometimes wider saddles.

Try lots of bikes, WSD and standard, to see what fits your individual body best.

And have fun doing it!

EDIT: For the record, I've got a wide variety of bikes - some compacts, some standard doubles, and two with triples. Most are standard geometries, and only two are WSD. BUT, I have shorter legs compared to most of my friends. I have two friends who are the exact same height as me, and if they borrow a bike, they raise the seat by two inches, at least!